Rise Of The System Trillionaire

Shocking Humans

Arnold didn't know if it was the chill night air, or the fact that he'd completed his first task successfully that made the car ride enjoyable.

All he knew was that the bubbling feeling he felt inside wasn't one he'd felt in a long time. As the taxi zoomed on, his hand slid into his pockets.

A groan slid past his lips as he replayed the painful memory of the night’s event in his head. Recollecting the punches he'd gotten, he winced involuntarily even though they no longer hurt. The appearance of high-rise buildings momentarily wowed Arnold. They'd gotten to the more developed urban part of the city and Arnold was speechless. He'd never been to this area because, to be honest, what would the old Arnold possibly be doing here? He definitely didn't fit in with these caliber of people.

"Are we almost there?" Arnold asked the cab driver, who was happily whistling away to a tune on the radio.

"At the phone store?”

“Yes.” Arnold said and peered onto the road. Far ahead were curves he'd only seen on the trailers of action movies, and he gleefully stared at them. Beaming from ear to ear, he was like a child who'd gotten gifts on Christmas Eve.

“Sure. We’re almost there.” The cab driver said and after pushing a few buttons to calibrate his GPS, the taxi driver headed to the store.

Purchasing a new phone didn't take too long, and In no time, Arnold was back in the cab, and he told the driver to take him to one of the best hotel in the city.

The rest of the drive to the hotel was hiccup free and Arnold and his cab driver even exchanged a few words. Arnold was beginning to enjoy the conversation when the cab driver announced they'd gotten to his destination.

"We're here.." He announced, and sharply Arnold took out his phone and paid the driver some money from the lavish points he’d earned some time ago.

Adding a little tip, Arnold then winked at the driver and said curtly. “You deserve it."

“Huh?” The driver intoned but Arnold had already gotten out of the cab, leaving the man gobsmacked.

Immediately the cab drove off, he turned to the hotel. Even without stepping foot into it, he understood why the driver had labeled it as the best, and brought him here.

Buildings that seemed to touch the sun flocked around him, the glass windows reflecting the afternoon sun. A golden sign that spelt out the words Hotel Paradise hung directly above the entrance. Potted plants were placed strategically, even around the water fountain at the centre of the compound and side by side on the walkway. It took Arnold just one glance to see the fleet of expensive cars parked at the spot reserved for automobiles. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Arnold walked into the building.

If the outside had impressed him earlier, the interior just set a new record. Glass walls touched the ceiling with giant chandeliers around. The tiles were squeaky clean and the receptions atmosphere had one distinct aroma: wealth.

"Where can I book a room please?" Arnold asked the men that were stationed at the entrance. Both gave him a curt nod before pointing to the desk at the far end. "Thank you."

Arnold walked up to the desk with as much courage as he could muster. He got there in a few strides and came in contact with two women, pristinely dressed and typing away on their computers.

"Good evening." Arnold put on his best smile. "I'd like a room for the night. How much is it?"

The lady directly opposite him stopped typing for a moment, then looked at him briefly before fixing her attention back at the computer in front of her.

Arnold was confused but didn’t react or read too much into her look at first. Maybe business etiquette differed for different classes of people.

"Excuse me." Arnold spoke up again after minutes of being ignored. “I’d like to book a room."

This time, the second receptionist reacted, but not in the way Arnold expected. She looked right past Arnold before going back to work.

"Hello!" Arnold was agitated. They were doing this on purpose. Was this how they treated their guests? "Aren't I talking to someone?"

"Who allowed you in here?" The first lady spoke. If she wasn't so rude, Arnold might have found her attractive. "How'd you get in here?"

"Those men standing at the entrance, directed me here."

"Steve!" Arnold had never heard a lion growl before but he was sure it sounded similar to the receptionist's voice at the moment. The man named Steve ran up to the desk almost immediately, and then she asked, “ What is the meaning of this nonsense?"

"I don't understand." Steven answered, looking genuinely confused. Even Arnold was confused but he watched. "Is something wrong?"

"Why did you allow this.." The receptionist made emphasis on the this as she threw Arnold a dirty look. " …enter into the premises?"

"He walked in here in search of a room and I only directed him to you. Is anything wrong with that?” Steve responded in all honesty.

"So if a mad man approaches you, you'd just let him walk in?" The second lady spoke up, disdain evident in her voice. "You don't just let anybody walk in here. We have a standard to uphold."

"I find that offensive." Arnold spoke up. They had no right to insult him like that, or compare him to a mad man either. All this was uncalled for. "Why would you insult me?"

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?" The lady replied, “Comparing you to a madman is actually a compliment."

Arnold looked down at himself and realized she was right. He was still in his dirty looking wedding suit. Though every injury had disappeared, there were still dried blood stains all over. A few mumbles reached his ears and he discovered a small crowd had gathered and the other clientele were jeering and pointing fingers. Whatever confidence Arnold walked in with simmered down immediately. His palms felt clammy and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Both receptionists had their faces stuck in a smug smile, happy they'd embarrassed Arnold.

"You won’t probably believe me, and that’s because my story might not seem genuine..." Arnold started, “But I just need a room for tonight. I'll explain later and I'll pay too."

"Explain! He wants to explain!" The receptionist's voice went an octave higher and her partner snickered in pure mockery. The jeers increased and Arnold could hear a few laughs too. “We have enough time. Go on, we're listening to what you have to say."

"Please, just attend to me and give me a room. I’ll pay for it."

‘Don't do that Arnold. Don’t beg. We already discussed this.’ Nexus voice sounded in his head and Arnold stiffened.

Couldn't Nexus see he was in a predicament?

‘You're not just anybody they can walk all over.’ Nexus reminded him. ‘Show then who you are.’

And almost instantly, his courage was back. Arnold faced them head on, a smirk on his face.

"How much is your best suite?" He asked, whipping out his iPhone

"$13,000." The whole hall went silent and for a minute, and the only thing Arnold could hear was his heartbeat and his finger tapping his phone screen, as he proceeded to make the transaction.

A ding resonated in the hallway and both receptionists eyes went wide in surprise as they stared at their screens.

“Payment Successful. 13,000 dollars received.”

‘Transaction complete.’ These words rang in Arnold's head. ‘Calculating remaining wealth.’

"I don't believe it." One of the receptionist murmured, and just like he’d expected, the whole people in the hall was left in suspense.

Their look changed from one of disdain and loathing, to one of pure admiration and shock, and Arnold smirked.

With a triumphant look on his face, he then stretched out his hand and asked, “Now, where is the key or card to my room?”